GUEST POST: Let NJOP Give You $500 to Run a Dynamic, Free Program in Your Sukkah!

NJOP invites you to apply to participate in Sukkot Across America 2013. Simply agree to run a free and exciting program in your Sukkah that will appeal to the wider Jewish community on Sunday, September 22, 2013, the Sunday of Chol Hamoed Sukkot. If your application is accepted, NJOP will offer you up to $500 towards promotional and/or programming expenses. Up to eighty locations will be selected.

The goal of Sukkot Across America is to have synagogues, Jewish centers and outreach programs across the country open their sukkot to the general Jewish community and inspire the visitors to become more engaged in Jewish life. At each of these specially chosen locations, participants will be invited to shake a lulav and etrog, enjoy some refreshments, and perhaps some music, and rejoice on this happiest of Jewish holidays.

How Can You Spend the $500?

The stipend of up to $500 may only be used to promote or enhance your Sukkot program to enable you to reach more people who may not otherwise experience the festival of Sukkot. NJOP wants you to upgrade the program or augment your advertising with the stipend. Having pizza or a BBQ instead of chips and punch would be an improvement we can support. Using the stipend to hire a musician, magician or other forms of entertainment that could draw more people would be an improvement we could support. Spending the money on advertising (Facebook ads or, if effective, local media), would be acceptable as well. We are eager to discuss with the successful applicants how they plan to use the stipend to draw more people to the event.

NJOP’s Criteria for Selection of Sukkot Across America Locations

In order for your application to be considered, you will need to be already registered to offer one of NJOP’s acclaimed programs. Most of our partners register for one of our Hebrew classes (Hebrew Reading Crash Course, Hebrew Reading Level II, One Day Review or the Hebrew Writing Crash Course) as a part of NJOP’s Read Hebrew America and Canada campaign during October and November of 2013. To learn more about Read Hebrew America, click here:

As an alternative, we will also accept registration to run our Crash Course in Basic Judaism, or our Crash Course in Jewish History.

The criteria that will be used to choose Sukkot Across America locations will be:

A confirmed date and time to run an NJOP program during our Read Hebrew America and Canada campaign.

If applicable, past successful participation in NJOP’s Sukkot Across America, having created programs that reached out to the broader Jewish community.

If applicable, past successful participation in other NJOP programs and campaigns with tangible results.

A clear description of your strategy (on the application form) for how you plan to reach out to marginally affiliated membership and unaffiliated Jews in your community. Included in this will be your plan how to promote this program broadly, your plan and ‘wow factor’ for your Sukkah program and your strategy for follow up.

NJOP strongly encourages synagogues that have not previously offered NJOP programs to apply!

How Can You Apply?

To apply for the program and to be eligible to receive up to $500 towards promoting and enhancing your program click HERE and fill out the form. Once you hit submit on the bottom, the NJOP offices will receive your application. Alternatively, you can email the answers back to ekrimsky@njop.org or fax it to 646.871.0100.

The form, which will need to be signed by a principal officer or staffer of your organization, contains the list of requirements in order to receive the stipend.
We will consider applications as they come in. The later your application arrives, the chance we will have already awarded all the stipends will increase.